Bill writes,
<I tried Thunderbird, Eudora, and Apple Mail. When the time comes that I
can no longer use e...@iler I'll switch to PowerMail, which I think is
cleaner than any of the others (but still not as elegant as e...@iler!). I
just pray that this doesn't happen until I kick the bucket...>
Um, well, my first attempt at trying Eudora (right before finding CE)
left such a bad taste in my mouth I swore that one off forever. That was
in 1996, so perhaps newer versions of Eudora I could have tried NOW
would be OK, but I had zero interest. I didn't like Apple Mail because
it reminded me too much of MicroBorg Outlook, which I'd been forced to
use at work and couldn't stand. Also, I should note, that my outlook
towards buying stuff has changed a great deal since the last time I was
seriously in the market for an email client (i.e., buying CE at Computer
City in 1996) -- now my approach is Freeware First. The only way I'll
buy software now is if I NEED that SPECIFIC application AND buying it is
the only way to get it -- "Buy something" is my total last resort. I was
willing to test drive Mail because it was it was already on my system
with Tiger -- didn't have to spend any money to get it. PowerMail, I'd
have to buy ultimately -- I looked into it a year ago actually with my
first serious CE malfunction (also that was when I first test drove
Mail.app and Thunderbird) -- and saw I could download a free demo, but
didn't because I didn't want to end up spending money on an email client
when I don't have to. Thunderbird is FREE (and open source, too: I love
that attitude!). I liked my original Thunderbird test drive last year,
but when Chris was able to cure my sick CE that time, I decided to keep it.
So I didn't actually try PowerMail, and I didn't like Mail.app -- but
Thunderbird has ENOUGH of a CE look-and-feel (a helluva lot more than
Mail.app!). I'm still in the transition period with Thunderbird, and I'm
finding that while there are some CE things I definitely miss, there are
also other things about it I like as much or better. My comparison so
far (Day Three of Thunderbird):
Section One -- What I Miss From CE so far are...In CE:
1. It seemed easier to get at reply-to-all (for when I do list emails).
2. I could have a zillion siggies on file, and use whichever one I
wanted for any given email. Doesn't seem like I can have ANY in
Thunderbird, without it being a total pain in the ass.
3. I loved the Read Mail folder, to which I was able to automatically
shunt Inbox mail directly after reading it. Thunderbird doesn't have a
Read Mail box at all (much less the ability to shunt read mail to the
folder of your choice). I had to make my own Read Mail folder and do it
manually. Minor pain in the neck, but I'll get used to it.
4. I only had to deal with one thing at a time! I find it disconcerting
in Thunderbird that if I select an email, I not only still see the Inbox
(or whatever folder I'm in) list of emails on top AND the text of the
selected email below. To just read an email with no "distractions," I
have to double click fast. I'll get used to this, though, maybe in about
a week or two.
5. No nagging. Firing up CE and hitting cmd-B gets you straight to the
browser -- it doesn't ask you stupid questions about if you want to work
online or offline, like Thunderbird does.
6. Queue Message was wonderful! I miss it! There is no Queue Message in
Thunderbird that I've been able to find. Draft email handling is also
better with CE. In CE, if you choose to "save as draft" for a particular
email, later when you choose to send it and click the little clock,
that's all there is to it. In Thunderbird, yes, you can save draft
emails, but when you're ready to send them, you have to click Edit to
get the "send" icon back and send them immediately.
7. Email from both my accounts was picked up with one "cmd-K." Not in
Thunderbird! There is no cmd-K, and I have to click the account and a
Get Mail icon to pick up mail -- one at a time.
Section Two: In the following respects, I find CE and Thunderbird to be
equals (i.e., there's no change at all):
1. Organizing my existing mail (i.e., filing received and sent messages
to their final destination folders) is done exactly the same way for
both CE and Thunderbird.
2. The ability to have nested folders.
3. If a folder has unread emails in it, it's bolded.
4. The same little curved arrow appears on read mails I've replied to.
Section Three: Now we come to the things I like BETTER about Thunderbird
(which is why I also feel I'll make the adjustment in only a week or two):
1. It's MUCH easier on my aging eyes. I don't have to squint to read the
subject lines of emails anymore.
2. So far, Thunderbird appears to handle sending emails with attached
files much better than CE. (I've only sent one email with attachments so
far, but I found the files faster and they sent faster.)
3. I like how it BOLDS quoted text from my correspondent's message.
4. I like that all my imported CE folders are all contained in one
master folder, which I can flippy triangle up for privacy (or a
streamlined appearance), or down when I'm looking to get at something or
do my filing. The column on the left showed every single personal folder
I had, at all times, in CE.
5. Thunderbird's address book is a little more versatile. Not only do
they display alphabetical even if you didn't enter them that way, but
you can also import a new person to the address book from an email you
get or send to them...Maybe this is how they compensated for shorting us
on siggies.
Well, that's where I'm at with it now. Oh, and Bea, I'm not brave for
having switched -- I switched because I got scared off with the recent
Issues. Nor do I plan to unsub from this list, so you don't have to miss
me either. :-)
~Yersinia.
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